Clinical Psychology Chapter 16.docx

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School

Wilfrid Laurier University

Department

Psychology

Course

PS381

Professor

John Stephens

Semester

Fall

Description

60 MC
20 marks on part A of short answer from latter chapters
Part B- all worth 5 marks and do 4 out of 7 or 8
Allowed to take out MC questions in multiples of 5 and do an additional short
answer question
Chapter 16- Community Psychology
Perspectives and History
• Community Psychology: emphasizes the role of environmental forces in
creating and alleviating problems
• Focus on
– Cultural relativity
– Diversity
– Ecology
Principles of Community Psychology
- What “causes problems?
o Problems develop due to an interaction over time between the
individual, social setting, and systems (e.g. organizations); these exert
a mutual influence on each other
- How are problems defined?
o Problems can be defined at many levels, but particular emphasis is
placed on analysis at the level of the organization and the community
or neighbourhood
- Where is community psychology practiced?
o Community psychology is typically not practiced in clinica, but rather
out in the field or in the social context of interest
- How are services planned?
o Rather than providing services for only those who seek help,
community psychologists proactively access the needs and risks in a
community
- What is the emphasis in community psychology intervention?
o An emphasis is placed on prevention of problems rather than
treatment of existing problems
- Who is qualified to intervene?
o Attempts are made to share psychology with others via consultation;
actual interventions are often carried out through self-help programs
or through trained nonpsychologists/nonprofessionals
• Implications
– Focus on fit between people and environments
– Creation of alternatives
– Differences are desirable
– Not one standard of competence/ social norm
• Rappaport’s Views: three sets of concerns define the community psychology
perspective – Human resource development
– Political activity
• Identify an issue like preschool enhancement
– Scientists
• Outcome based decisions about what to support
• 1955
– Joint Commission on Mental Health and Illness
• 1963: Kennedy Bill
– Calls for prevention
– Early detection
– Prevent “warehousing” of patients in mental hospitals
– APA support
• 1965: Swampscott, MA Convention
– “Official” birth of community psychology
– American Journal of Community Psychology as well as Journal of
Orthopsychiatry
– APA division created
• 1970s
– Expansion of journals
– Community focused textbooks
• 1980s: Reagan administration
– Funding cuts
– Decline & fragmentation
• Contributing Factors
– Treatment facilities
• Cost, efficiency, custodial
• Introduction of psychotropic medicines
– Lack of trained professionals
• Higher demand than availability
• Increases in prevention efforts
• Emptied the wards quickly and sent them out to society
without properly trained support
• Contributing Factors
– Questioning psychotherapy
• Efficiency & efficacy
• Cost of psychotherapy
– Medical model
• Spirit of the 1960s activism
• Search for socio-economic influence
• What elements are associated
– Environment
• Poverty, discrimination, pollution
• Crowding, educational opportunities
• Sexism, racism,
• Influence of civil rights movement
• All these factors influenced the development of Community Psychology Key Concepts
• Ecological levels of analysis
– Interdependence of groups
• Individuals
• Microsystems
• Organizations
• Localities
• The community one lives in, neighbourhood
associations
• E.g. Waterloo is a locality
• Macrosystems
• Principles of ecology
Every ecosystem consists of multiple independent parts
Ecosystems understood by examination of used resources
Adaptation of individuals
Dynamism of ecosystems
• Joint Commission’s recommendations
More and better mental health research
Broader definition of mental health service providers
Community availa